Marko hits one out of the park

My blogging buddy Marko puts in his $0.02 worth about New Hampshire Republicans. (Language alert: Marko swears from time to time. In this case, I think he has good reason to do so.)

In a spectacular display of Not Getting It, some of the Republicans in the Live Free Or Die State are getting cocky about having a supermajority in the NH House and Senate again . . . and they’re trying to use it to roll back the gay marriage law. Of all the issues on the table, they make gay cooties a priority once again.

In past elections, I’ve voted for a few Republicans for local office - whenever there wasn’t a Libertarian running, or whenever the Democrat on the ballot was more of a douche than the Republican. Should the NH Republicans be successful in getting our gay marriage law repealed, I will never again vote for another Republican in this state. I’m sick and tired of the debate. We shouldn’t have it in a state that has LIVE FREE OR DIE as its motto. We shouldn’t have it because the straight majority shouldn’t be able to vote itself special rights they can deny to gays, or blacks, or Jews, or Christians, or left-handed people. We shouldn’t have that debate anymore for much the same reason why we shouldn’t have a debate about reintroducing miscegenation laws. This particular culture war is pretty much over. There are just too many people nowadays, both liberal and conservative, who recognize that the state should have precisely f***-all to do with licensing, condoning, or promoting marriage between two consenting adults.

There's more at the link. Bold print is my emphasis.

Let me be clear on this. I'm a retired Christian pastor, and I adhere to the classical Christian view of homosexuality - namely, that it's morally wrong. However, that doesn't mean I'm going to condemn those who hold a different view to mine. They have the right to choose how they wish to live, and the moral standards or code to which they will adhere. I do not have the right to dictate to them what that code should be; nor do I have the right to try to make my moral standards the law of the land.

If I wish to convert others to my opinions, then my job is, not to preach, but to live my faith, to such an extent that my life becomes a shining example of why those standards are ideal. If I try to force my moral standards upon others, whilst continuing to sin myself (and I am a sinner, despite my faith, and despite my best efforts to the contrary), am I not behaving just like the Pharisees?

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness."

-- Matthew 23:23-28

I don't want to hear the Lord level those accusations at me when I have to face His judgment, thank you very much . . . He's already told me what he wants me to do.

"Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye."

-- Matthew 7:1-5

Why can't our politicians learn this lesson? We didn't elect them to legislate a particular moral perspective, or a particular religious creed. We elected them to take care of the business of government - nothing more, nothing less. That business has damn all to do with what goes on in the bedrooms of consenting adults!





Peter